A WAR is brewing in Lady Frere in Eastern Cape.
The residents took to the streets on Tuesday to demand that Emalahleni Local Municipality mayor Nomveliso Nyukwana, municipal manager Sithembele Vatala and the entire administrative team step down immediately.
On top of that the residents also insist that Premier Phumulo Masualle must solve their ongoing problem.
The ANC in the Chris Hani region sent a delegation led by Zandisile Qupe, a member of the ANC provincial executive committee, to monitor the situation and listen to the residents’ grievances.
Public order police were also in the area to maintain order.
Sibongile Ndamane, local economic development official for the Cacadu Ratepayers Association, submitted their petition to Qupe after it was read out in public.
The petition listed as grievances unemployment of youth, verification of addresses, valuation of houses, tenders not awarded to local businesses, centralisation of IDP adoption, application of municipal by-laws, the high crime rate, service delivery and the urgent removal and replacement of the Emalahleni management.
Qupe said the petition would be handed to the relevant people and added that the ANC would do its utmost best to come up with solutions.
Nyukwana said: “It is unfortunate that things can get to this stage when the door is always open for everyone to come and complain.
“As for the protesters demanding that I step down, let me say I was not elected mayor after a protest or burning of tyres. There are better ways of doing things and this is not a good one.”
